The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) sixth annual Students of the Year campaign exceeded all expectations, with 16 candidate teams, comprised of 29 extraordinary high school students, raising $356,837 to help find cancer cures.
Team BC We Care, led by Olivia Hauck from The Pingry School, was named Students of the Year.
“I am very proud to have raised so much for an important cause in such a short period of time. My team and I really pushed ourselves to the end because we knew every dollar helps blood cancer patients,” said Olivia Hauck of BC We Care. “Our motivation stemmed from a close family friend who is battling acute myeloid leukemia. This campaign was in honor of him and all of those who benefit from LLS’s advances in cancer research. We are happy to help LLS in creating a world without blood cancer.”
Participants in fundraising campaigns, like Students of the Year, are helping LLS make an impact on the lives of cancer patients, not someday, but today. LLS is leading the charge in exploring new paths to cures and treatments, with almost 300 cutting-edge research projects underway, many in the promising new areas of immunotherapy and personalized medicine. In addition to finding blood cancer cures, many of the treatments LLS has helped fund are now helping patients with other cancers and chronic diseases.
Team Bulldogs Bite Back, led by Danny and Will Rollo of Hopewell Valley Central High School was named First Runner-Up. The Top Fundraiser Recognition Award connects the individual with one of LLS’s Research Portfolios. The portfolios include a variety of projects that focus on specific blood cancer research, so candidates may choose one that is meaningful to them.
“These students are an inspiration, they embody the idea that anyone can make a difference with hard work and dedication,” said Jana Boyer, Executive Director of LLS’s New Jersey Region. “What the candidates were able to achieve in seven weeks is truly amazing and will have a tremendous impact on the lives of blood cancer patients and their families.”
In addition to top fundraising awards, one candidate team received our Citizenship Award and was recognized for their commitment to the LLS Mission, Volunteerism, and Community Involvement. The Citizenship Award went to: Peyton, Arianna, and Tyler DelGrande of Robbinsville High School.
2021 Students of the Year Candidates and Candidate Teams: